To Be
by yankeedoodle74
Summary: Her encounter with Desaad brings Chloe much needed clarity to her relationship with Oliver. One-shot loosely based on S.10 Ep.14 Masquerade. As much as it pains me to say I don't own the rights to Smallville or its characters! Would love comments/reviews!


As a follower of Darkseid, Desaad relished his role of encouraging people in their sins, thus corrupting their very souls and leading them to the Darkness. This was preparing the way to help usher in the coming invasion of earth by his master. He did his job very well, he haughtily thought, helped by the many nightclubs he opened in the city, including his favorite, and namesake, the Club Desaad which caters to its patrons by allowing them to indulge in their sexual fantasies and fetishes.

It was in an alley behind that very club where he found Chloe Sullivan snooping around. He was actually quite pleased as he knew that she and her band of "vigilantes", were causing much resistance and opposition to Darkseid's plan for world domination. He used his power of telekinesis to throw her into the wall of the brick building, effectively knocking her out. He very much looked forward to corrupting her.

Instead of leading her astray however, he now found himself amused and aroused as she stood before him, hands squeezed into fists at her side, anger and defiance only enhancing the feminine features of her face as she brashly told him to "go to hell."

He had tried tempting her with some of the Seven Deadly Sins, using visions of Clark, Oliver, Lois, and even her very own self, to cause her to stumble, but she had remarkably not succumbed to her dark side. He could sense something different about her than others he had encountered in the past. She was much stronger in spirit and mind than her petite frame belied. Her sense of justice and "saving the world" was clearly not just an act. Most people gave themselves over to their sins very easily. Some took a little longer, but they almost always gave in. Those who did not, met with a different fate as he caused their brains to hemorrhage, blood flowing out the apertures of their face. It was a most exciting thing to watch, he exultantly thought.

Now, observing her in her sexy red dress that wrapped around one shoulder revealing much of her smooth-looking, creamy white skin, and which emphasized her curves in all the right places, he found he was quite turned on by her. He decided to put off her impending doom for awhile. He reveled in pleasure, and realized he had to have her. He couldn't remember the last time he desired someone as much as Chloe.

He was sure that part of the allure was the fact that she was so defiant and had stood up to him. After all, he did enjoy a challenge; that was half the fun. But he had to admit she was very beautiful and sensuous looking. He figured with her fiery personality, she was a hellcat and a very active and enjoyable participant in all her sexual activities.

Chloe was at one moment in the church where she was ironically in battle for her very soul, to in an instant finding herself lying on what she believed to be a bed. She sat up and blinked her eyes quickly trying to adjust to the dim lighting. What she finally saw made her sick.

It appeared she was in one of the rooms at Club Desaad used for sexual encounters. Based on the gaudy, crude decor and the various sex toys and implements all around, to her, it looked like a cross between a medieval torture chamber and a low-budget porn set; a veritable S&M playground for deviants. After her heartbeat and breathing quieted down, she could hear what could only be described as erotic sounding music pulsating throughout the room.

Sensing his presence before she actually saw him, Chloe was nonetheless startled when Desaad appeared and sat down on the bed next to her. In his hand he was holding the knife that he earlier threatened her with when she was tied from the ceiling in the church, when she first awoke to this nightmare. It was also what he dared her to use to kill him, trying to get her to fall to the Sin of Wrath.

Now Chloe wished she _had_ used it on him. This time he trailed the knife around her neck, over her flat stomach, up and down her thighs and brought it up to rest between her breasts.

"My dear Chloe, I always get what I want, and right now I want you," he spoke seductively, leaning in towards her, just inches from her face. I am very skilled at what I do. I know you were able to resist Clark, but I guarantee you have never experienced pleasure until you have been with me. Open yourself to ecstasy and rapture. I have a feeling we could come together very well, indeed."

Paralyzed by shock and revulsion, Chloe tried to hide the look of fear that she was sure showed on her face. She had faced a lot of adversaries in her life, many who tried to kill her, but never had she been in this situation before.

"Over . . my . . dead . . body," she managed to voice between her clenched teeth, knowing full well that she meant it. There was absolutely no way she was going to willingly have sex with this man, and no way in hell she would let him violate her.

"Now Chloe, that will be arranged soon enough. I just thought we could have a little fun first," he said grinning mercilessly, as he cut the strap of her dress with the knife. His face was so close to her neck, she felt his hot breath upon her. Chloe let out a gasp, but not just because of his actions. It was what he said to her that cut into her, just as surely as if he had stabbed her in the heart.

"_Fun_." She had argued with Oliver just hours earlier about how she couldn't define their relationship. She always ended up referring to it as "fun" when she was too scared to reveal her true feelings to him; pretending that it was just about the sex, when it was abundantly more meaningful than that. Hearing the word come from this sick, evil man made her recognize just how cheap, trivial, and almost ridiculous it sounded, when what she and Oliver shared was obviously much deeper; more than physical. When they made love, it was a union of their bodies, minds, and spirits, not just the body.

She would give anything to be able to tell Oliver that she really did love him with all her heart and soul. She had erased her "existence" when she learned the future from the Fate Helmet and did what she felt she had to do to change its course. Now Chloe realized that she was ready to begin a new destiny, start over with him, if he would have her. Oliver was her reason for living, and that was enough; he was all she wanted and needed. She breathed a silent prayer, as she gathered up her courage, determined now more than ever, to fight for her survival.

It was at that moment, as if in answer to her unspoken prayer, that the Blur appeared and as quickly as Chloe had found herself in the middle of this hellhole, she was safely spirited away, gently placed on the couch in the Watchtower, ever so grateful for his perfect timing. After quickly making sure sure she was okay and had not been hurt, Clark rushed back to confront Desaad.

It was there where Oliver found her later, when he learned from Clark that she was alive and safe, despite what Desaad had told him. He couldn't believe the rage and despair he had felt thinking that monster had killed her. He would have beaten Desaad to death with his bare hands had Clark not stopped him. He raced to get to her. She had not moved from the spot where Clark had placed her, other than to wrap herself in a blanket and curl up into a ball.

Running over to her the minute he stepped into the room, he was shocked by her appearance. Her face was tear-stained, and her hair was all matted. She had her arms wrapped tightly around her knees, and he could see she still had on the red dress she had worn on their date, although the strap was ripped and hanging loosely to the side.

"Holy shit, Chloe! What the hell did he do to you? Are you okay? Did he hurt you? Did he . . ." Oliver couldn't finish the words; couldn't even complete the horrifying thought trying to invade his mind. If that bastard had touched or assaulted her in any way. . .he didn't know what he would do. He berated himself for having left Chloe alone in that alley in the first place.

Almost going insane with fear and worry for her, Oliver carefully took her in his arms and placed her in his lap, burying her head in his chest, holding her to him as tight as he possibly could, all the while wishing Clark had not stopped him and he had gone ahead and killed the son of a bitch.

She was very still. Her voice started out quietly then grew stronger, as if she gained strength just by being in his arms.

"Nothing. He didn't do anything to me. I am fine, " she tried to reassure him sensing his deep concern for her. "Really, I am. Just please don't say another word. Just keep holding me and listen carefully to what I have to say. This is very important and it can't wait any longer."

With that, she shifted her body to face him, stroking his cheeks and jawline lightly with her fingertips. Oliver was not convinced that she okay and was scared to death by her serious demeanor.

She looked directly and intensely into his eyes."I have to make something abundantly clear to you. I know it seemed like I couldn't put a definition to our relationship before, couldn't answer and fully explain what you are to me and what I want to be for you, but I am ready to do that now." Here she paused a moment causing Oliver's heart to jump in his chest.

"I want you to know, . . no, I _need_ you to know that you are the love of my life. I have never loved anyone like I love you. I want you to really hear my words, not just read them on a piece of paper or hear them from someone else," she continued solemnly.

"I am through holding a part of myself back from you. I guess I got scared over how utterly intense my feelings really are, because I've spent my whole life masking them and pushing them aside so I wouldn't get hurt. But what really hurts, what_ kills_ me, is thinking I can go on in this world any longer without you beside me every step of the way." Again Chloe paused, while she took a deep breath.

"I guess what I am trying to say is, my life doesn't cease to exist simply because I press a few buttons on a computer; I have come to realize I am not fully alive apart from you. You have to know; I am yours. I am your girlfriend, your friend, your sidekick, your lover. Whatever you want me to be, I will be, just as long as I am with you. You claimed earlier that I didn't know what to call you. Well, now I do. You are my life; the very air I breathe. I,. ." and here she stressed each word, at the same time cupping his cheeks between her hands, "_love_ . . _you_ . . _Oliver_ . ._ Jonas_ . . _Queen_ . . _only_ . . _you_ . . _always_ . . _forever_."

She smiled sweetly, almost shyly up at him, and softly declared, "I hope I have cleared everything up. Any questions?"

Oliver could scarcely believe what he just heard and witnessed. The woman who sat there only moments ago looking like she had just gone to hell and back, became so calm and composed. Staring back into her big, green eyes, it was as if he could see deep into her soul, knowing she meant every word she just spoke.

Humbled by her complete openness to him and overwhelmed by his love for her, he leaned down, placed a tender kiss on her waiting lips, rested his forehead on hers and whispered, "Just one, . . . will you be my wife?"


End file.
